Submitted by Deirdre McNamee Following a recent visit to Ireland I felt compelled to tell the story of my father who, like many men and women in the early 1950’s, left Ireland for British shores for what he perceived as a better life. On arriving in England he made his way to Sheffield where some former school friends and a cousin were already residing. They helped him find accommodation and, most importantly, work. A few years later...

Today’s FriFotos theme on Twitter is HISTORY, and that got me thinking of the Irish diaspora and their impact on culture around the world. The Irish truly have changed the course of history in many lands… hopefully for the better 🙂 ! It might surprise you to find out the photo above was not taken in Ireland… instead, Corey snapped it last year while in New York City! The Irish Hunger Memorial is located in Battery...

Megan Smolenyak is in Moneygall this week for Barack Obama’s Irish homecoming. The US-based genealogist has a special interest in the presidential visit because she played a key role in connecting Obama to his Irish Kearney relatives. Lucky for us, she’s keeping a photo essay from her time in the heart of Ireland. See Megan’s most recent uploads >> Learn more about Megan’s Moneygall research...

U.S. President Barack Obama’s whirlwind tour of Ireland kicks off on Monday… only days after England’s Queen Elizabeth departed from her first visit to the Emerald Isle. With the leaders of the country’s two biggest tourism markets touring just ahead of the summer travel season, the Irish are working double-time to get the attention of would-be visitors. For Americans, that means tapping their heritage....

As enthusiasm in Ireland builds for President Obama’s visit next week, talk about his Irish roots has been popping up all over the internet. In the years since Megan Smolenyak and Stephen Neill confirmed the president’s link to Moneygall, County Offaly, new family ties have been uncovered. While Moneygall stands at the center of Obama’s Ireland visit, links to his Kearney ancestors go even further back to a nearby...

Ireland intends to connect with the 70 million people worldwide who claim Irish heritage through a new program called the Certificate of Irish Lineage. The new certification provides individuals with Irish ancestry an opportunity to celebrate their Irish-ness with a government-sanctioned initiative designed especially for those who do not qualify for Irish citizenship or dual citizenship. In an announcement Friday morning, Irish...